May 11th, 2025: Solomon Dedicates the Temple | 2 Chronicles 7:1-7, 11

And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. (2 Samuel 7:1-2).

To have the heart of King David! He desired to honor God with a house, designated permanently to house the Ark of the Covenant and to be a meeting place for God’s people with their creator. From our human perspective, this is a grand thought; a noble desire. Yet God answers with:

 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? (2 Samuel 7:5-7).

God hadn’t asked for a house, but He would allow one to be built and used for His purposes.  David, sadly, would not be the person building this house. It would be his son Solomon.  

This didn’t stop King David from drawing up plans and gathering materials. When the time was right to build God’s house, provisions were available and instructions were written. Solomon built the temple of cedar and stone, about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. As a note of reference, this temple would have been about three stories tall.   It sat on Mount Moriah (the place where Abraham was prepared to offer Isaac). Most of the inside was overlaid with gold and it took seven years to build.

 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.(I Kings 6:7)

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

So when the temple was completed. A huge festival-type celebration had been planned. 

Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. (2 Chronicles 4-8).

Everyone was invited. The Ark of the Covenant was brought up and placed in the Temple, behind the veil, in the Holies of Holies. The King and all the people offered sacrifices. Not all of the sacrifices were burnt offerings,  so there was plenty of food for everyone to enjoy. Picture the event. The noise of the crowd, the sacrifices, food, singers, trumpets, musicians, and Levites were all celebrating God and this new temple, where He would meet with them. The trumpets sounded to call the people to order, and Solomon himself led the congregation in a dedication prayer and tribute to God. He reminded the people of their covenant with God and God’s faithfulness to keep His promises. Then He boldly asked God for a promise, he petitioned God to hear His people in times of distress, war, famine, and sin if they pray toward this sacred, dedicated place.  

Boldly He was asked, and Boldly God answered by fire from heaven. He accepted and approved. 

And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

As when the tabernacle was dedicated, the Glory of the Lord filled the temple. Seen by those in attendance was the presence of God’s glory. When we stand face to face with Him, we will also be overcome by the greatness, omnipresence, and holiness of God. Do not be confused.  None will stand before a righteous God without first falling on their faces in praise and in worship. Every knee will bow; every tongue will confess both believer and unbeliever. Notice as well, they are overcome by His goodness and His mercy that endures forever. Those who know Him know this truth. 

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

There are many commentators who feel this is an exorbitant amount of offerings and therefore cannot mean what it says. Sacrifice is a form of worship in obedience to God. God’s generosity can never be matched or exhausted. Something of value to them was offered to their God, who had given to them much, much, more. The nation as a whole gathered for this dedication. The ultimate sacrifice, who would come, was represented. Jesus paid it all, in obedience to God the Father, and it was indeed a great sacrifice. His death was not small or insignificant; it was enough to redeem the whole world. Though Solomon’s dedication ceremony involved an incredible amount of offerings, nothing came close to the cost needed to be paid to redeem mankind. Jesus alone took care of that. 

 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

The Levites were busy! Solomon dedicated the middle court for this celebration. The priests consecrated, or sanctified, this area because it would allow more room for overflow. There were all types of offerings being made. Some were burnt offerings - completely consumed by fire for sin. There were meat and grain offerings- offered as first fruits and used for food.  And finally, there were peace offerings, in thankfulness and for the renewal of covenant vows and for rededication. This temple dedication celebration lasted seven days and was followed by the Feast of Tabernacles, which lasted another seven days.   

A celebration prepared and planned for by King David would of course include music, just look at the celebration David had when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem.   Songs of praise, to stir the heart with gladness. There are at least 14 different instruments mentioned in the Old Testament. Most frequently mentioned are psalteries (most believe a forerunner of the piano), harps (stringed instruments), cymbals (percussion), timbrels (tambourines), and trumpets (horn, Shofar).  Musical instruments are mentioned in the Old Testament over 200 times.  God loves His people! The joy of music and the sound of praise would have been an amazing thing to hear!

Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

Solomon finished what King David had started.  The exact year of its construction is debated; however, most feel it was between 1200-1000 BCE. The glory of Solomon’s temple is legendary. Scripture records Daniel’s prayer toward Jerusalem and the temple three times a day.  Prayers would be directed toward the temple until its destruction by the Babylonians in 587 BC.   A second temple was built in 521 BC by Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubabel after the nation’s return from captivity in Babylon. The second temple did not have all the glory and beauty of Solomon’s; 

 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: (Ezra 3:11-12).

King Herod the Great liked building projects, and he made considerable changes to the Second Temple. He added rooms and additions that stood at the time of Jesus. The second temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Today in Jerusalem, devout Jews pray at the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall of King Herod’s Temple. They look forward to and are preparing for a third temple. Here, the descendant of King David will reign and rule on earth.

The New Testament says that we are the temple of the Lord, as born again believers we have the Holy Spirit of God living within our hearts.  We have access to the Father, through the Son, by His Spirit.  We should likewise dedicate ourselves, confess our reliance on the Son of God, and celebrate the faithfulness of God continually, abundantly, extravagantly.  He is good and His mercy endures forever!

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!